MOSCOW, Idaho - The Vandals begin a stretch of three home games to close out the regular season, starting Friday evening with a game against Portland State, which sits one point ahead of the Vandals for the top spot on the Big Sky table. Idaho welcomes Sacramento State Sunday to close out the week. 

ABOUT IDAHO: The Vandals are 9-2-2 overall and 4-1 in conference play after losing the first game since August last Sunday at Northern Arizona. The Idaho defense has been key so far this year. The Vandals set the Idaho record for shutouts in the season and tied the Big Sky record. Kira Witte leads the nation in shutouts with 11. The true freshman has recorded shutouts in all but two game this season. Maddy Lasher now leads the Vandals in goals (3) and assists (4). 

ABOUT PORTLAND STATE: Portland State struggled in non-conference play and did not pick up a win over a Division I team, but has put it together for Big Sky play at 4-0-1 with wins over Northern Colorado, Montana, Idaho State, Weber State and a tie against Sacramento State. Abi Hoffman had four goals to lead PSU while Raniyah Burton has scored all three of her goals in Big Sky play. Sidney O'billovich has been stellar in Big Sky play picking up wins for all games. 

ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE: Sacramento State is 2-8-4 on the year with both wins coming in Big Sky play at 2-2-1. Aubrey Goodwill leads the Hornets with four goals on the season. Mia Shalit is the only goalkeeper that Sacramento State has played this year, she has a GAA of 1.79.

LEADING THE NATION: Kira Witte sits alone atop the standings as the only goalkeeper in the nation with 11 shutouts this season. Witte, a freshman has shutout every opponent except San Diego State and NAU. She had a season-leading 10-match shutout streak. She broke the single-season Idaho shutout record and has climbed to a tie for third on the career shutout mark in just 13 career games. She is also tied for the Big Sky Conference single-season shutout record. She had a career-best 12 saves against Weber State. 

DEFENSE: While Witte has been stellar in her first 13 games as a Vandal, the Idaho back line and midfielders have also been outstanding. Idaho has allowed the fewest goals in the season of any Big Sky team, but the Vandals are just seventh for saves, meaning that the defense has limited scoring chances of other teams. 

BIG SKY STANDINGS: Portland State leads the table after the Vandals dropped the 1-0 game at NAU. Idaho and PSU have locked a place in the Big Sky Championship on the first week of November in Greeley, Colorado. It is statistically possible for either team to clinch the conference title this weekend.